We are living in Times of Change. There is financial and economic turmoil around us. Peak oil is forcing a change of energy creation and use upon us. Political change is a must. And in order to survive we require an inner change, a change in attitude, a change in expectations, a change in life-style - a philosophical change.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Only a few days ago I posted a blog entry entitled "Statism is Dead". One of the arguments was the fact that we in general - or many of us - are being treated like human livestock. Here is another site that voices this opinion. The site is called "On Modern Servitude" and links to a 1-hour video documentary (also available here). It explains that many of us subscribe voluntarily to this modern form of servitude and that we don't want to see it. It is called mercantiletotalitarism. It shows how all aspects of our lives are controlled and that we are lulled into a false believe of freedom. In the introduction of the video that criticizes the totalitarian mercantile system we live in, the author summarizes "My optimism is based on the certainty that this civilization is about to collapse. My pessimism lies on the things that are dragging us down in its fall". Wake up. See the new form of slavery for what it is. Watching the video helps you open your eyes.

Hayek comes from a completely different angle. But he reaches the same conclusion, or at least he warns of the same danger: slavery. He argues that if we are not watchful, "socialism", government planning and government interference will lead to serfdom and in order to avoid it we must stick to a strict free market capitalism.

See the two distinct roads? Both leading to servitude according to their authors. Capitalism and socialism, two contrary paths leading to the same oppression? Form your own opinion, but for me it seems clear that it is true that both forms of government - if executed poorly - can lead to slavery. The point is though that socialism - if executed well - can avoid slavery, while capitalism - even if executed well - has a higher risk of slavery.

Aldous Huxley said the following back in 1932. It is a lovely quote and so to the point: "A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude. To make them love it is the task assigned, in present-day totalitarian states, to ministries of propaganda, newspaper editors and schoolteachers." (Source: foreword to "Brave New World").

Drifting away from the topic of slavery, a comment on Hayek. The dangers that Hayek warns us about are the government bailouts (e.g. banks and car manufacturers in 2008 and 2009), the TARP programs, the Feds in general, etc. All these actions and institutions are mere meddling that is eventually bound to fail. What in our media is called a free market capitalism, is far away from Hayek's definition of a free market capitalism. All our markets are steered, controlled, abused, and profited from by today's government and big corporations. 2009 is one of the best years to see this in action at a grand scale. Capitalism - like nearly anything in life - has a good side and a bad side. Politicians have long destroyed and eliminated the good side of capitalism, and all they do is dish out the bad side of capitalism for us to eat. But when asked about it they continue to justify capitalism by referring to the long-gone good aspects of capitalism.